Handle and operating lever assembly for flushing tanks



D. E. GULICZK 2,609,546

HANDLE AND OPERATING LEVER ASSEMBLY FOR FLUSHING TANKS Sept. 9, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 20, 1948' FIG.

FIG..2

FIG. 4

Inventor: e'Duvid E.Gulick,

O 'IIIIII'IIIII/ Attorney Sept. 9, 1952- D. E. GULICK 2,609,546

HANDLE AND OPERATING LEVER ASSEMBLY FOR FLUSHING TANKS I Filed July 20, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 m. E. GULICK 2,609,546 HANDLE AND OPERATING LEVER ASSEMBLY FORFLUSHING TANKS Sept. 9, 1952 's'shis-sheet 5 Filed July 20, 1948 FIGQ8 FIG. IO.

FIG.9

FIG. 20 F|G.2 l"

Ai'rorney FIG. I8 w Inventor DuvId E Gullck Patented Sept. 9, 1952 H NDLE AND OPERATING LEVER ASSEMBLY FOR FLUSHING TANKS David E. Gulick, Kittanning, Pa., assignor to Eljer 00., Ford City, Pa.

- Application J lily 20, 1948, Serial No. 39,617

Thisinvention relates to a handle andoperat- -'ing ilever assembly for'flushing :tanks of any :character, as for instance, .flushing tanks employed in connection with toilets.

. The "object of theinvention is to :provide for .mounting the bearing :member of the assembly in.a wall of .the 'flushingtazik in such 'armanner :as to prevent lo'oseness of the bearing member the opening through 'the'itank wall.

It is a common practice to provide .tank'rwalls with .a' rectangular opening to accommodate .the

fixed or stationary bearing member ;for the-rock- ,ing;shank or spindle of :the handle and lever assembly; Inasmuch as such openings necessarily vary :somewhat in proportions and shape, it is necessary to "provide for :holding' the "bearing member :against rotative I looseness in the topiening. iHeretoiore this has been ;done by .fixed :or

rigidrmeansmn the bearing member, but this has been, unsatisiactory'ior the reason that the fixed -means does not accommodate itself "to variations in the size or shape 'of the opening'ithrough- :the

tank'r-wall. v

. In carrying out. the present invention, the

bearing member is .provided with means which fully described, illustrated the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the appended claims. it, of course, being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details may be made, within the scope of the claims, without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of'the invention.

Inthe -drawings- Figure 1 is :a front elevation of "a handle and operating lever assembly for flushing tanks embodying the features of the present invention.

' figure v2 is .a plan sectionalview taken through aawall of azflushing 'tankand showing the present assembly mounted in position-in :an opening through the wall of the tank. V

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view on the line 3+3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is .a detail sectional view on the line 4-4:of Figure 2. 1 I

Figurefi is afragmentary side elevation'o'f the bearing membernf the present invention look- 6 Claims.

(c1. 4 s7): I

ing at a corner of a rectangular portion thereof.

' Figure dis a complete sectional view taken longitudinally through the mounting and showing the'bearing in its normal condition clamped against the'wall of thefiushing tank.

Figure 7 is a detail elevation of the'inner end of the shank or spindle of the handle member of the assembly prior to its assembly with thebearing member. Figure 8 is a detail sectional view of the bearing member on the line 8- -8'0'f Figure '9.

Figure 9 is-a front elevation of the bearing member.

Figure 10 "is a rear endview of the bearing member. 7 Figures 11 and 12 are detail fragmentary sectional views illustrating successive steps in the formation of a portion of the bearing member.

Figure '13 is a sectional view illustrating another method efforming the same portions of the bearing member. I

Figure 14 is a viewsimilar to Figure 2-showing another embodiment of the present invention.

' Figure 15 is a fragmentary sectional view of the locking means for the bearing as illustrated in Figure '14.

Figure 16 is an elevation of one end of locking means employed in Figure 14. v

Figure '17 is an elevation of the opposite end of the locking means shown in Figure 114. v

Figure 18 is a detail view of the bearing member employed in'Figure 14 and showing the longitudinal groove or'keyway therein.

' Figure 19 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on the line Iii-49 of Figure 14.

Figure 20"is a side elevation of the'bearing member showing a modification-therein.

Figure 21 is a rear end view of Figure 20. Figure 22 is similar to Figure 20 showing another modification. I

Figure 23 is a rear end view of Figure'22.

Referring at first to Figures 1 to 7, inclusive, it'will be seen that a front wail of the flushing tank has been indicated in section by the reference numeral i, through which wall there isa rectangular opening 2 as is the common practice in devices of the present type. The handle Lmemr the her of the assembly. is designated 3 "and may be or any preferred form, while the lever member is designated 4 and is intended to 'beprovided with a depending link connected at its lower end to a ball valve, not shown, but common and well understood in devices of the present type.

As usual, the handle 3 is provided with a shank orspindle 5, the base of'which is surrounded by a circumferential flange constituting a cup or casing which is open at that end which is remote from the handle. The lever 4 has a terminal crank member 1 which may be connected to the inner end of the shank or spindle in any preferred manner. In the accompanying drawings, the crank portion 1 is received within a terminal socket 8 in the shank and has a tight fit therein against independent rotation whereby operation of the handle 3 will turn the shank 5 and swing the lever A on the fulcrum provided by the shank 5.

The mounting for the shank 5 is an openended tubular bearing member 9 which extends through the opening 2 in the wall of the flushing tank and houses the shank 5 in the bore of the tube. Endwise separation-of the shank 5 from the bearing is prevented by means of an annular shoulder H] on the base of the shank and lips or projections H on the rear end of the shank, which projections are normally in the position shown in-Figure 7 extending longitudinally of the shank and are bent outwardly across therear end of the bearing 9, as shown in'Figu're 6, to prevent endwiseseparation ofthe parts in one direction. j

The shank or spindle 5 hasa limited rotation within the tubular bearing member 9 brought about by means of a stop projection i2 projecting from the outer face of the head or flange [3 provided upon the outer end of the bearing member 9. The stop member I2 is disposed between cooperating stop projections it provided upon the handle 3 and within the cup or casing portion 6 thereof as well illustrated in Figures 4 and 6 of the drawings.

The bearingqS is held to the tank wall i by means of a nut'i5 provided upon the screw- ,threaded exterior portion of the bearing at the inner side of the tank and the annular head or flange l3 carried by the frontend of the bearing member. Also, the portion of the bearing member 9 adjacent thehead or flange i 3, as indicated at- I6 is rectangular in shape as best shown in Figure 3- of the drawings and is intended to fit within the rectangular opening 2 in the tank wall i. As heretofore explained, it ispractically impossible to make the rectangular openings in a number of tanks absolutely accurate so as to have the rectangular portion [5 of the bearing fit snugly the walls of the-opening in any one tank and thereby prevent any rotative looseness of the bearing. According to'the present invention, the rectangular portion I6 is made of a size and proportions to approximately lit the opening in the tank wall, and then wings or projections I! are punched out at: the corners of the rectangular portion so that the four wings will spread and engage the corner walls of the opening 2 when the bearing member is initially thrust through the opening 2 Thereafter, upon manipulation of the nut 15 to draw the bearing member endwise through the opening 2, the wings I1 will be crowded into the corners of the opening 2 when the head or flange l3 of the bearing has been drawn tightly against the outer face of the tank wall i. 7 It will here be explained that the bearing member 9 is sufficiently soft to enable the punching out of the wings IT, and to enable the crowding of such wings into the cor nersof the opening 2 when the bearing is forced endwise through the opening by the manipulation of the nut 15. It will now be understood that the walls of the rectangular portion it of the bearing member need not necessarily have a contact fit with the walls of the opening 2 in the tank wall because the wedging of the relatively soft wings or projections i! into the angles at the corners of the rectangular opening in the tank wall will effectively lock the bearing to the walls of the opening 2 and thus lock the bearing against any rotating looseness within the opening in the tank wall; i

In order to form the wings or projections I! at the corners of the rectangular portion l6 of the bearing member, the head or flange l3 of the bearing is provided with four openings 18 extending entirely through the flange and located opposite the respective corners of the rectangular portion l6 of the bearing as well shown in Figure 9. These openings are intended to accommodate tools, such as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 12, whereby the wings I! may be punched from the corners of the rectangular portion l5 of the bearing.

Another way of forming the wings-1i! is by casting-as illustrated in; Figure 13, wherein!!! and 20 are mold members. The moldinember I9 is provided with av cavity of. a shape .togive to the bearing the form-shown in Figures. 8"and 12, while the moldimember 2B. is provided with four bosses, two of which have been shown. at 2|, each boss having a wedge-shaped member 22 to form one of the wings [1 during the casting operation. 1

Instead ofhaving the deformable -.wings H, the bearing member may, as in Figures 19 and 20, be provided with deformable'members 23 on the back of the flange i3 and/oron the periphery of the rectangular'portion i6'so thatwhenthe nut I5 is manipulated to 'xdraw the" bearing through the opening in the tank fwall the deformable projections 23 will be drawn in'toand crowded against the .walls of said openingin a manner to lock the bearing member against rotation in either direction on its axis. In Figures 21 and 22, a series of relatively thin deformable projections 24 are provided atth'e'back of the 'flange Band on the peripheral faces of the square portion l6 of the bearing.

Instead of locking the bearing 9 at the outer or forward end of the opening 2 in the tank wall, as shown in Figure 2, the locking arrangement may be provided at the inner end of said opening as shown in Figure 14, wherein the wings or projections I! are omitted from the square portion l6 of the bearing and are provided on awasher 25 embracing the inner end portion of the bearing Sand interposed between the nut I5 and the inner or back face of the wall i of the tank.

This washer is provided with an internal projection or key 26 designed to engage a longitudinal groove or key way 21 formed in the screwthreaded portion of the bearing, see Figure 18, for the purpose of preventing rotation-of the washer on the bearing. The washer has a rectangular portion 28 provided with the deformable wings 29 at the corners thereof, the flange portion of the washer being provided with openings 3U, likethe openings l8 of Figures Ste 12, inclusive, to receive a tool for punching out each of the wings. With such a washer provided upon the bearing 9 and interposed between the nut l5 and the rear face of the tank wall I, by manipulation of the nut 15 the washer may move longi- 5 against rotation'or even rotatable looseness with- .inthe openingi. Y

The manner of locking the bearing against rotatable looseness as shown in Figure 2 and as shown in Figure "14, is identical in that in each instance the deformable -wing or projections are f'oriced or-crowded into .the'fiangles of the open- 7 .g 2 in'"su'.ch amanner'iastoshold theibearing Regain st rdtatablelooseness. Figure fl -the wings ilkeooperate withgth 'walls of the Ieu ter or tortvard end of the opening 2; while Figure Litheideformahle wings 1 9. :e'ooperate with the *ner'or rear end of theopeningZ.

i-iIt win-re noted that in+eadhform of the inten-den the bearing. member-is provided'wi'th deformable wings or projections, I"! in Figures 2, 3 and 5; and 29 in Figures 14, 15, 16, 17 and 19. In Figures 2 and 3, the projections H are integral with the bearing member, while in Figures 14, 15, 16 and 19, the projections 29 are directly on the washer 25 and, therefore, are on or carried by the bearing member.

It will, of course, be understood that the parts as shown in Figures 2, 14 and 15 show the wings before they have been crowded into the angles of the opening 2 and are in position to be engaged with the walls of the opening by manipulation of the nut I 5. Figures 3, 6 and 19 show the several wings crowded into the angles at the four corners.

of the rectangular opening 2 in the wallof the tank.

While the bearing member has been shown as provided with a rectangular portion and the tank has been shown as provided with a rectangular opening to receive the rectangular portion of the bearing, it is not the rectangular or other non-circular shape that is relied upon to prevent rotative looseness of the bearing mem er in the opening. Any shape of opening and cross sectional shape of the bearing member may be employed for the reason that it is the-wedging or frictional engagement of the wings or projections against the walls of the opening that is relied upon to prevent rotative looseness of the bearing within the opening.

In this connection (see Figures 3 and 14) the space between the rectangular portion l6 of the bearing member and the walls of the opening 2 in the wall of the tank has been shown as exaggerated and emphasis is placed on the fact that it is the deformable wings or projections that are mainly relied upon to prevent rotative looseness of the bearing Within the opening. In Figure 19 the same exaggeration has been shown between the periphery of the washer 25 and the walls of the opening in the tank.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A handle and operating lever assembly for flushing tanks, comprising an open-ended tubular bearing member to extend through an opening in the Wall of a flushing tank, adapted to receive for rocking movement therein a shank for connecting said handle and operating lever, the bearing member having a head to lie against one face of a wall of a tank, a nut threaded on the other end of said bearing member for engagement against the opposite face of the said wall of the-tank, and said bearing being provided with one or more integral slanted projections the uter ends pointed toward the head and being spaced therefrom, spaced clearance between the outer ends of the projections and the bearing, the projections extending outwardly beyond the periphery of the bearing member to such an extent rpm: to the, op ning inga he tank -ivhen-the nut is turned-tonrawx, in thr u -the opening the :to t e said. inn-ligand hea against opposite faces era wail 'ofc-alflilshe in tank and thereby .hol sthc b arin -member against rotary looseness withinkthencpeningin the tankxwallm'. 51-0 "2. vAlhandle andgoperating lever 'assemblvior fiushing tanks, z'cornprising' an opienaende'd tubular "hearing: member having an. externalhead L01 flange; said member: being *providedwith axscrewthreaded portion and also with outwardly slanted integralijbendable lugs, the outward end of the lugs being adjacent to but spaced from the flange and also spaced from the bearing, openings through the flange opposite the ends of the lugs, a shank rotatably mounted in the bearing member, a lever connected to one end of the shank, and a nut provided on the screw-threaded portion of the bearing member substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. A bearing for an oscillatory mounting of a handle and lever assembly for flushing tanks, comprising an open-ended tubular bearing member, externally threaded at one end, the other end of said member being provided with an annular flange and slanted integral bendable projections extending outwardly beyond the periphery of the bearing member to such an extent that they will be bent into non-rotatable engagement with walls of a non-round opening in a wall of a flushing tank when the bearing member is being assembled within said opening.

4. The combination with a wall of a flushing tank having a non-circular opening extending therethrough, an open-ended bearing member, externally screw-threaded at one end, extending through the opening and projecting at opposite ends thereof, the unthreaded end of the bearing having an external head or securing means to engage the outer face of said wall of the tank, a nut on the screw-threaded end portion of the bearing to clamp the shoulder or securing means against the wall of the tank, said bearing being provided with slantingly projecting wings or lugs joined to the bearing member inwardly longitudinally from the external head and pointed toward the head, the outward ends of the wings being spaced from the head and spaced from the bearing member and being disposed in registration with corners of the opening through the wall of the tank and forced into the angles of said opening under the influence of the nut.

5. A handle and co-acting lever for flushing tanks mounted in a bearing, said bearing having a threaded shank portion with a flanged head or stop means for positioning, a threaded lock nut on the shank, one or more integral slanted projecting lugs extending beyond the diameter of the bearing, a flange adjacent the outer ends of the lugs but having spaced relation thereto, openings through the flange opposite the outer ends of the lugs and so positioned as to give access for forming and adjusting the lugs, the outer ends of the projecting lugs having a spaced clearance at the back and being disposed between the head and the lock nut, and the outer ends of the lugs being displaceable by bending to conform to the hole in which the bearing is secured through the tightening of the lock nut to prevent rotation of the bearing in the hole.

6. A co-acting handle and lever assembly I mounted in a bearing, the bearing having an 7 exteriorly threaded portion, an unthreaded portion, and a positioning means atone end, a. lock nut on the threaded portion, integral slanted projecting lugs disposed between the positioning means a'nd'the lock nut on the unthreaded portionythe lugs having clearance at their back to than the bearing, adjacent to but spaced from the outer ends of the lugs: and openings through e opposite the ends'of the lugs to provide access t the lugs, r

DAVID E. GULICK.

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